Even got put on the banner!Hey look we're relevant enough to openly mock!
The Onion (born in FBM HQ North aka Wisconsin!) has a new sport-centric show on Comedy Central called "SportsDome". Last week, in their premier episode, the took a shot at Major League Soccer in a highlight segment that covered the last four years of the league or "since we last checked in on the league".

Last month the website commented on Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Nicolas Anelka, Guillermo Franco and Adrian Mutu showing some interest in moving to America to play soccer, and how a move in the foreseeable future would be a good thing for MLS. And I agree.

In 2007, David Beckham came to the Los Angeles Galaxy in a transfer that made an immediate impact on the club's revenue and social status among other clubs throughout the world.

Orange Slices is our game day, catch-all post that we update during the day before the match. Don't accept substitutes, imitators or copycats! Ask for fresh, wholesome Orange Slices by name.

Orange Slices! USA vs. Guadeloupe

Hello and welcome to game day!

The United States Men's National once again finds themselves in control of their destiny and needing a good showing in the final group stage game of tournament.

Alexi Lalas MLS blog: Beckham's USA stay could be branded a failure if he fails to lift the Cup

Welcome to MirrorFootball's MLS blog, brought to you in conjunction with ESPN. In his last blog of the season, USA legend Alexi Lalas breaks down this weekend's MLS Cup final.

I remember when David Beckham announced he was leaving Real Madrid not to somewhere in Europe but to MLS. Instant speculation from both fans and pundits alike cited the money as the deciding factor for his move, after all, why go to the league when you have offers from Europe's elite?

A BEHIND THE SCENES ORAL HISTORY OF SOCCER IN KANSAS CITY

On November 18, 2010, a Major League Soccer team changed its name. One minute they were the Kansas City Wizards. The next, they were Sporting KC. Of course it's never that simple. This is that story.

Greg Cotton
Chief Operating Officer, Sporting Kansas City
I hate the word 'brand' more than anything.

By Chris Wright

In which BBC Radio 5 Live set about piecing together a band of footballers past and present with the express aim of getting their song played on Radio One.

Why? We have absolutely no idea...

The band in full...

Florent Malouda on drums,
Neil Danns on vox and egg shaker,
Gareth 'Wild Thing' Ainsworth on lead vox,
Alexi Lalas on guitar,
Paul McVeigh on piano,
Dion Dublin playing his very own 'dube',
Nobby Solano on trumpet,
Jermaine Defoe and Michael Dawson on Early Learning Centre percussion.

I talked to Alexi Lalas the other day for an SI.com piece, a state of the union-type article on the U.S. national team. Funny thing, I told Alexi, I had this strange feeling that we'd done all this before.

And we had. About this time last year, I talked to Alexi about a similar piece – and the conversation went about the same way.

NEW! Alexi Lalas MLS blog: An All-Star XI that I think could give Man United a game

Welcome to MirrorFootball's new MLS blog, brought to you in conjunction with ESPN. Every Wednesday USA legend Alexi Lalas will be on hand to bring you the latest news from the 'States, and you'll also be able to watch the week's best goals and highlights.

The United States Men's National Team (USMNT) takes on Mexico, their fiercest rivals, at Lincoln Financial Field tonight at 9 pm.

Broadcast Info/Times: Pregame - ESPN News starting at 8:30 pm. Currently being pre-empted by a Little League World Series Game.

Game - ESPN 2, 9 pm, Ian Darke and John Harkes will be in the booth, with Alexi Lalas and the Philadelphia Union's color commentator Talor Twellman as other members of the broadcast crew.

Today we're excited to announce a new series on the Free Beer Movement. It's called "Brews and Views" and we pose a question or topic to various prominent soccer persons and, well, they give us their view on it.
We've got loads of get people that have already responded to our call for essay submissions and each week we'll feature a unique perspective on the current topic/question at hand.

Proving that you can never have too much ginger and that two gingers can do a show without causing a rift in space/time, Zach is joined by Alexi Lalas to discuss all the news surrounding MLS and the Men's National Team. We discuss Thierry Henry's red card, the massive crowd in Seattle and Alexi shares a story about Kasey Keller.

Alexi Lalas MLS blog: Everything you wanted to know about the playoff Wild Cards... but were afraid to ask

Welcome to MirrorFootball's new MLS blog, brought to you in conjunction with ESPN. Every week USA legend Alexi Lalas will be on hand to bring you the latest news from the States, and you'll also be able to watch the week's best goals and highlights.

LA Lads: Former local Fox Sports commentator Max Bretos, former Galaxy GM Alexi Lalas and Chivas USA's Alejandro Moreno are the in-studio team for the 7 p.m. Seattle Sounders-Real Salt Lake match as the MLS Playoffs resume on ESPN tonight.

It appears fans are responding to the MLS playoffs this year, games that have traditionally struggled to draw decent crowds on relatively short notice.

Their Words We will train the same way we will play in games, with high intensity and awareness. With every camp, they know exactly what to expect. US National Team coach Jurgen Klinsmann. Other Sources Why madman Marquez would still have a place in my team - from The Mirror's Alexi Lalas: But I'm here to defend Marquez.

We continue our new series on the Free Beer Movement. It's called "Brews and Views" and we pose a question or topic to various prominent soccer persons and, well, they give us their view on it.
We've got loads of get people that have already responded to our call for essay submissions and each week we'll feature a unique perspective on the current topic/question at hand.

Changeover at ESPN and Arlo White being hired to be the new voice NBC Sports soccer coverage has raised some interesting discussions on just what exactly makes for a good television announcer in Major League Soccer coverage. Debates over what matters, how credibility is earned and why an accent can make a difference have all been waged.

Changeover at ESPN and Arlo White being hired to be the new voice NBC Sports soccer coverage has raised some interesting discussions on just what exactly makes for a good television announcer in Major League Soccer coverage. Debates over what matters, how credibility is earned and why an accent can make a difference have all been waged.

First, we'd like to wish our own holiday wishes to our readers and new visitors. Thanks for making 2011 a special year at The Yanks Are Coming, and we hope to provide more solid coverage, analysis and unique perspectives on both the USMNT and USWNT in 2012. Soccer has always had a place at Christmas- [.

Alexi Lalas is a former U.S. National Team defender (96 caps), appearing in two World Cups and was U.S. Soccer's Male Player of the Year in 1995. Lalas was the first American to play in Italy in the modern-era and then returned to the United States to be a part of the group of high profile American soccer players to launch Major League Soccer.

Alexi Lalas is a former U.S. National Team defender (96 caps), appearing in two World Cups and was U.S. Soccer's Male Player of the Year in 1995. Lalas was the first American to play in Italy in the modern-era and then returned to the United States to be a part of the group of high profile American soccer players to launch Major League Soccer.

Well, five years wasn't enough to properly evaluate Chris Wondolowski. But looking back on SuperDrafts are like looking back on memorable road accidents.
So let's get the conclusion out of the way. You don't build a winner through the MLS SuperDraft. You build a winning MLS team through trades and discovery players.

Cause the Anti-Power Rankings are a firework Come on we're gonna show 'em what we're worth Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!" As the rankings shoot across the sky-y-y

This week is a special edition of the Anti-Power Rankings as I take a look back at yesterday's excitement from the 2011 MLS SuperDraft.

Editor's note: Our next piece is by Eric Beard of a A Football Report...one of my favorite cerebral soccer reads. I choose not to run it late last week because I thought it would get lost in the draft "horserace" media coverage.

Eric, a member of the Emory University team is currently on location in Barcelona.

It started as a Twitter daydream. Imaging Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley duking it out during the weekend's Fulham/ Aston Villa game. Bradley however could not partake in the USMNT Midfiedler Celebrity Death Match because he arrived at Villa Park only the day before. Still we pictured what the fight might look like.

The highlight of the LA Galaxy versus Seattle Sounder game is Kasey Keller saying, "I miss hair but not that hair."By the way, LA Galaxy defeated Seattle Sounders 1-0. Also, Alexi Lalas complemented David Beckham in the half time report and Kasey Keller is going to retire at the end of this season.

One of several Estrella ads extolling their ties as Barcelona's official beer sponsor.By Eric Beard / Señor Spanish Correspondent / Editor, A Football Report (@AFootballReport)
Americans love a good beer, and a free beer more so. Catalans, amongst tapas, sangria, fine wine, Gaudi, and Shakira, love their local beer, Estrella Damm.

Fine line between physical and dirty

Jeremiah talked to Alexi Lalas, Jay Demerit, Davy Arnaud and Patrick Ianni about that line and how one moment redefined Brian Mullan's career.

Alexi Lalas is an icon of American soccer. Whether it was his nine years of professional experience playing in Italy, Ecuador and MLS, or his international career for the United States where he starred in the 1994 World Cup, Alexi has always been a talking point. He is now a soccer analyst for ESPN and ABC.

It's at 7 p.m. Saturday at Home Depot Center (live on ESPN2).

In other local soccer news:

*Remember when the Galaxy foolishly shot their collective mouths off about being a so-called "Super Club," a hollow boast that roughly coincided with the worst period in the club's history thanks to Ruud Gullit, Alexi Lalas et al.

Featured photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz

Union

Two goals. Two sweet goals. A win. First place in the East.

Top of the morning to you!

On Saturday, Carlos Ruiz learned that he has been called up for the Guatemalan national team squad for the Gold Cup, which runs June 5 through June 25 with Guatemala's first game on June 7.

- Maxi Rodriguez

As the son of a Mexican father and a blindingly pale Alabaman mother, I was raised on equal portions of Mexican soccer, pork chops, and mashed potatoes. While the effects of the southern cuisine were undone by growth spurts in my early teens, my fascination with Mexican soccer has endured.

...or better known as Alexi Lalas's coming out party.

...or US laying waste, 3-0, to Argentina. Proof below it happened.

-

More on this year's shortly...

Their Words It was a privilege to represent my country in this tournament. I was proud to be part of this team and proud of my teammates during these four games. It was a shame that we couldn't go farther, but I was happy with the effort that the team put in. I think we showed a lot of heart during this tournament.

I love the "Dispatches from Deutschland" series on All White Kit that provides an on-the-street view of the Women's World Cup. The first was a week ago, the second was posted a few days ago, and the third was posted yesterday. A highlight from the third:

In the "Only in Germany" file: the DFB Cultural Foundation (does anyone else in the world even have such a thing?

• Dynamo focus on making home swing count [MLS Soccer] - [sarcasm] well, at least we haven't heard this before [/sarcasm]
• Mid-Season Report Card: Houston Dynamo [Total MLS]
• Sarkodie's confidence on upswing [Houston Chronicle] - it's amazing what some playing time will do for a talented rookie.

It's the Girls in the Cheap Seats World Cup final live post-game show! Co-hosted by Jared DuBois from the American Soccer Show and with an all-star guest lineup, Amanda, Kirsten, and Megan review the final of the Women's World Cup. We get reactions from Alexi Lalas and from Joan of Cross Conference, analyze the match and the tournament from every possible angle (or as much as we could in an hour), and try to figure out what it all means for WPS, US Soccer, and the sport as a whole.

Strikers defender and 2009 player of the year Zach Kirby has announced he will retire from soccer today after multiple injuries which have kept him out of many games in his career. Known to the fans as "Beowulf", Zach was one of the best players on the team and considered by many too good to be playing 2nd division soccer.

Dan Wiersema of The Free Beer Movement puts together a star-studded broadcasting panel

Class, class....class!

As American crafts its own soccer identity on the field and in the stands another front has opened as well in the broadcasting booth. Major League Soccer's first generation of players (Jamie Moreno, who retired in 2010, was the last player to have played in the league's inaugural 1996 season) has taken off their boots and several have made the move behind the mic.

STARTERS
Colorado forward Conor Casey is done for the season and will be out up to 10 months with a ruptured achilles tendon on his left leg.
THE FIFA SCANDAL STORY NEVER ENDS
Andrew Jennings of Transparency In Sport has turned his arrows on Chuck Blazer in recent weeks and gives us the story of the CONCACAF executive pocketing 10% of all sponsorships and TV rights fee the federation brings in.